Cleveland Browns

Baker Mayfield's time as the Cleveland Browns' franchise quarterback is over after the team acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.

However, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said on The Rich Eisen Show that he doesn't expect any trade news on Mayfield, who is still on the Browns' roster, until after the NFL draft (April 28-30).

Florio said that Mayfield's next destination could depend on what teams decide to do at the quarterback position in the draft.

For example, if teams in the quarterback market (e.g., the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers) don't get the signal-caller they want in the NFL draft, then Mayfield could become a possibility post-draft as they look for answers at the position. 

Florio said the Seattle Seahawks are the only team currently looking into acquiring the four-year veteran. However, he also threw out the idea that Seattle could end up taking a quarterback in the first or second round.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe also wrote this on March 26:

Mayfield’s camp has had preliminary discussions with the Seahawks and Panthers, according to a source. Nothing appears imminent at this point, though. It’s unclear if a deal could take place as early as this week or sometime later in the offseason, but a move is anticipated at some point.

He added:

Mayfield and the Seahawks appear to be the most logical pairing, and Mayfield has some advocates in the building, according to a source. Plus, if the Seahawks are looking to add a starting-caliber quarterback, they probably can’t count on the NFC West-rival 49ers to help with that process.

The 2022 NFL draft doesn't contain a host of elite quarterback prospects on paper, but there are some intriguing options such as Liberty's Malik Willis, Pitt's Kenny Pickett, UNC's Sam Howell, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and Ole Miss' Matt Corral.

We'll see where the quarterback chips fall shortly enough. After that point, one would assume there would be movement on the Mayfield front with his time in Cleveland all but over.

An unnamed NFL executive questioned why the Cleveland Browns gave quarterback Deshaun Watson a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract after acquiring him from the Houston Texans in a blockbuster trade last month.

The executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic on Friday that Watson, who faces 22 civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct after he hired them for massage services, isn't a good fit for head coach Kevin Stefanski.

"What Deshaun does best is playmaking, off-schedule, throwing deep, all that, which does not strike me as the Stefanski system," the exec said. "It may all work out, but he is not the person to give that deal and that power to. You might do that with Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, and even then you wouldn't like it. I just don't understand. It just reeks of desperation."

Not only did the Browns guarantee the entire contract, the largest such commitment in NFL history, they also structured the deal with a $1 million base salary in 2022, which limits the potential financial impact if Watson is suspended by the league.

The 26-year-old Georgia native, who held a no-trade clause that gave him power to choose his next team, denied Cleveland's offer played a role in his decision.

"It had nothing to do with the contract. I didn't know about the contract until I told my agent that I wanted to come and be a Cleveland Brown," Watson told reporters at his introductory press conference.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry added the contract was built from a purely roster-building perspective.

"We certainly understand the optics of it," Berry said. "I think for us, after we got comfortable with Deshaun, the contract was really a football decision. The things that were important to us from a club perspective were to have Deshaun under contract for another year and to have it structured in a manner that would allow us maximum flexibility to execute the rest of our offseason plan."

The reality is it became clear Cleveland wanted to move on from Baker Mayfield as its starting quarterback before the 2022 season and Watson was the last high-end option available on the trade market.

In turn, the Browns' front office opted to move their chips all-in to acquire Watson despite the surrounding circumstances, including his uncertain availability for next season.

He's a massive upgrade when looking solely through a football lens. He recorded 122 total touchdowns (104 passing, 17 rushing and one receiving) across 54 appearances for the Texans. That's 2.26 TDs per game.

Mayfield has tallied 97 total scores in 60 games (1.62 per game).

In addition, finding a franchise quarterback is the single most important factor in building a championship team, well ahead of the head coach or any other position. So if the Watson-Stefanski partnership doesn't work, the Browns will search for a new coach.

So, while there are questions about how Cleveland reached the conclusion to give Watson a contract, let alone so much guaranteed money, it doesn't come as a surprise in the QB-dominated NFL.

Two women suing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson have added claims of negligence and gross negligence to their lawsuits, according to USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer. 

The women, who are among the 22 suing Watson and accusing him of sexual misconduct, insist he knew of his sexual tendencies in massage appointments but did nothing to avoid them, Schrotenboer added.

The attorney for the 22 women, Tony Buzbee, told Schrotenboer:

Deshaun Watson has denied he acted intentionally; we believe strongly that we will prove he did. We have also added a claim for negligence allowing a jury to assess liability for unreasonable and imprudent conduct as well. This claim is just another through which the jury can assess liability and damages against him. We will likely add this claim for most of the cases, although perhaps not all.

With these claims, more evidence can be secured before trial, according to Schrotenboer. 

The news comes after Schrotenboer reported earlier this week that a judge ruled Watson would have to disclose his sexual history with the 18 massage therapists who issued statements of support for him. 

Watson refused to answer the questions previously. 

The Clemson product is currently only facing civil lawsuits after grand juries declined to indict him on 10 criminal complaints alleging sexual assault and misconduct. He also faces a possible NFL suspension under the league's personal conduct policy. 

The 26-year-old has denied any wrongdoing. 

The 22 lawsuits against Watson stem from last year, when he was still a member of the Houston Texans. The three-time Pro Bowler sat out the entire 2021 campaign after requesting a trade, and he was eventually dealt to the Browns in March. 

Watson is expected to be the Browns' starting quarterback in 2022. However, if he is suspended, Baker Mayfield could command the offense if he's not traded before the start of the season. 

The death of Joshua Owusu-Koramoah, the brother of Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, is being investigated as a homicide in Hampton, Virginia.

Hampton Fire & Rescue and police responded to a call Tuesday morning about a body found inside a home after signs of a fire. The deceased person was later identified as Owusu-Koramoah, 23, who lived at the residence, per Caitlyn Burchett, Peter Dujardin and Marty O'Brien of the Daily Press.

Hampton Police spokesperson Sgt. Reggie Williams told the Daily Press the "cause and manner of death" remain under investigation.

Drew Barker, a former high school football teammate of Owusu-Koramoah, said they were supposed to meet for breakfast that morning and he went to the residence after he couldn't get a response.

"It was touch-and-go for a while because they weren't sure if it was him [in the townhouse] right off the bat," Barker told the Daily Press. "We tried to hold out hope as long as we could. ... When we found out it was him, it was demoralizing trying to figure out how this happened."

Barker noted Owusu-Koramoah was working as a science teacher at Hampton Christian Academy.

Jeremiah, 22, played college football at Notre Dame before being selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.

He made 14 appearances for Cleveland during his rookie season.

The attorney for the 22 women who have accused Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and misconduct in civil lawsuits said he hasn't heard from the Cleveland Browns or any NFL other teams this offseason.

Tony Buzbee told ESPN's John Barr that none of his clients have spoken with a representative from a specific team either.

"The Browns organization did not reach out to me," Buzbee said. "I didn’t expect them to do so, and can understand why they didn’t. But, knowing what I know, they probably should have."

On Sunday, the Browns confirmed they acquired Watson from the Houston Texans. While the three-time Pro Bowler is no longer facing criminal charges, he still faces 22 civil lawsuits centered around the assault allegations.

The Browns issued a statement saying they "spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson." The team added that it felt it "was pivotal that we, along with Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, meet with Deshaun to have a straightforward dialogue."

Cleveland said it executed an "extensive evaluation process," but many noted the absence of any detail about what the evaluation entailed. There was also no mention of reaching out to the women who leveled the allegations.

This statement came after news of how the Browns structured Watson's contract after agreeing to the trade with Texans. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported his base salary will be only $1 million for the 2022 season, thus limiting how much money he stands to lose from any suspension.

There's no going back for Cleveland. The trade is done, and Watson will collect every penny from a five-year, $230 million extension that's fully guaranteed.

But the criticism directed toward the Browns is unlikely to quiet down anytime soon.

In a potentially landscape-changing move, the Houston Texans reportedly agreed to trade quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns on Friday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Watson will sign a five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns that is fully guaranteed. Rapoport noted that Watson's deal includes the most guaranteed money of any contract in NFL history, beating the previous record of $150 million by $80 million.

The record of $150 million had belonged to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who signed a six-year, $258 million extension with the Bills last year.

Watson's new contract will pay him an average annual salary of $46 million, which places him among the highest-paid players in the NFL currently as well.

Per Spotrac, Watson is second only to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who signed a three-year, $150.8 million extension earlier this week, giving him an average annual salary of over $50.3 million.

Here is a rundown of the NFL's top 10 earners in terms of average annual salary:

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB: $50.3 million

2. Deshaun Watson, QB, CLE: $46 million

3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC: $45 million

4. Josh Allen, QB, BUF: $43.0 million

5. Dak Prescott, QB, DAL: $40.0 million

T6. Russell Wilson, QB, DEN: $35.0 million

T6. Kirk Cousins, QB, MIN: $35.0 million

8. Jared Goff, QB, DET: $33.5 million

9. Carson Wentz, QB, WAS: $32.0 million

10. Matt Ryan, QB, ATL: $30.0 million

While there are risks involved with acquiring Watson, he has been one of the NFL's most productive quarterbacks since entering the league in 2017.

Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) and threw for 33 touchdowns when he last played in 2020.

And one look across the NFL shows how difficult it can be to find a true franchise-altering talent at the position. Draft picks ultimately carry theoretical value because it's incumbent upon a front office to turn them into something tangible.

Many thought the St. Louis Rams fleeced the Washington Football Team in 2012 when Washington moved up to the No. 2 spot in the draft to take Robert Griffin III. With enough time to truly evaluate the trade, the Rams didn't get a massive bounty, and the whole thing was a bit of a wash.

The Browns are leveraging a lot of their future to make this happen, but Watson can single-handedly raise a team's ceiling when he plays.

Seventy-seven quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown at least 1,000 passes through their age-25 season, per Stathead. Among that group, Watson is seventh in yards (14,539) and touchdowns (104) and second behind Patrick Mahomes in QB rating (104.5). His yards and touchdowns would've been higher had he not played in only seven games as a rookie.

For a number of reasons, the this trade will be scrutinized for years to come.

The move comes as Watson faces 22 civil lawsuits centered around allegations of sexual assault or misconduct. A grand jury declined to indict him on criminal charges.

Watson issued a statement on Twitter last March saying he had "never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect."

Rusty Hardin, Watson's attorney, also said he believed "that any allegation that Deshaun forced a woman to commit a sexual act is completely false."

With the NFL refraining from issuing any suspension or placing Watson on the commissioner's exempt list, Sarah Barshop of ESPN said before the 2021 season the Texans might consider keeping him on ice all year:

Watson remained with the Texans through the NFL's trade deadline and didn't appear in a single game across the entire campaign.

The Browns had already picked up Baker Mayfield's $18.9 million option for 2022, but this trade is indicative as to the concerns they had about his long-term value. His development stagnated, and 2021 represented a step backward for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick.

Since reentering the NFL in 1999, Cleveland has tried and failed on numerous occasions to find a franchise quarterback through the draft. The team passed on Watson in 2017 (who was taken 12th overall), but taking Myles Garrett with the top pick that year wasn't exactly a regrettable decision.

The money is significant and the possibility of a suspension still exists, but Watson is the closest the Browns have had to a sure thing at QB in decades.

Baker Mayfield's time with the Cleveland Browns might be winding down. 

Appearing on NFL Live on Wednesday, ESPN's Chris Mortensen made it clear the Browns are looking to move on from Mayfield in search of an "adult" at quarterback. Mortensen added that Jimmy Garoppolo could be a possibility for Cleveland if it trades the 2018 No. 1 overall pick. 

According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, Mayfield "will still consider other options" even if the Browns can't acquire Deshaun Watson in a trade after Cleveland brass met with the Houston Texans quarterback Tuesday. 

Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Browns management met with Watson in Houston as part of the vetting process and in an attempt to convince him to waive his no-trade clause for the club. 

Cabot noted that Mayfield won't be part of the trade package to the Houston Texans if a deal with the Browns involving Watson materializes. 

The list of suitors for Watson seems to include the Browns, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. 

Russini reported Tuesday that the first step for the Browns, Panthers and Saints to secure a meeting with Watson was to present a trade package that the Texans would approve. All three teams met the asking price, so now it's just a matter of Watson deciding where he wants to play. 

In the wake of Cleveland's meeting with Watson, Mayfield posted a message to Browns fans on Twitter:

Even before the Browns got in the mix for Watson, there were questions about the team's commitment to Mayfield. Cleveland elected not to give him a long-term extension when he was eligible to sign one last offseason, though it did pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal for 2022. 

Mayfield has appeared in 60 games for the Browns over the past four seasons. He has a 29-30 record in 59 starts, including an 11-5 mark in 2020 to help the Browns make the playoffs. 

Last season was a step back for Mayfield and the organization. He suffered a partially torn labrum in a Week 2 win over the Texans that required offseason surgery. The 26-year-old threw for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 starts. 

Cleveland finished third in the AFC North with an 8-9 record.     

The Dallas Cowboys are trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided details. 

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports first reported that Dallas and Cleveland were working on a deal.

The 27-year-old still has three more years to run on the five-year, $100 million extension he signed with the Cowboys, but his long-term future in Dallas came under doubt in February. 

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the team was planning to have Ezekiel Elliott back and wanted to retain free-agent-to-be Michael Gallup. That potentially left Cooper as the odd man out because of his sizable salary-cap hit ($22 million) for 2022.

In January, team owner Jerry Jones offered somewhat cryptic comments on the four-time Pro Bowler during a Jan. 22 appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via NFL.com's Adam Maya).

Jones said he "[didn't] have any comment on Cooper's contract" before appearing to lament the lack of impact Cooper made:

"I thought that the way we were playing early when we did make something happen, I thought Cooper had a big part of it. And I'm not being trite. But how he fits in, he should take half the field with him when he runs a route. Not half—half is an exaggeration, of course, but a whole bunch of that defense should have to honor Cooper. And he ought to be able to catch it in the middle of when they're going with him. Others do. You throw to people that are covered all the time in the NFL. You have to. Most people don't have the numbers of receivers we've had."

Despite Dak Prescott missing 11 games in 2020, Cooper managed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth time in his career. The quarterback's return to full-time duty in 2021 didn't coincide with a return to form, though.

In 15 games, Cooper caught 68 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb (79 receptions, 1,102 yards and six touchdowns) was the team's leading receiver, while Gallup had 35 catches for 445 yards and two touchdowns in nine appearances.

Cooper's contract provided little disincentive for Dallas to move on if it wanted to free up much needed cap space. By trading him now, the team saves $16 million and only carries $6 million in dead money.

There's no question his production from last season was a little underwhelming.

His 12.7 yards per reception were not a significant departure from his career average (13.7), but his 6.9 targets per game were more than one fewer target (8.1) than he averaged over his previous two-and-a-half years with Dallas. Over the course of a full season, those lost targets begin to add up.

Cooper vented in December that he thought the offense wasn't performing as it should and expressed how he thought he had a bigger role to play.

Reworking his deal was probably the optimal solution for the Cowboys, but that's a two-way street. Cooper may not have been all that enthused with the idea of taking a pay cut, and now his contract will roll over to Cleveland.

This move is largely a result of Jones handing out lucrative contracts without fully considering the long-term implications.

Jaylon Smith was jettisoned last fall two years after he got a big pay raise, and DeMarcus Lawrence was widely speculated to be a cap casualty. Elliott's future might be in more jeopardy as well if the financial penalty of releasing or trading him wasn't so severe.

In a vacuum, a $20 million average annual salary for Cooper isn't a significant overpay if he regresses to the norm a bit in 2022. For Dallas, though, the newfound flexibility it has might be better utilized elsewhere on the field.

For the Browns, acquiring Cooper should provide a big boost to their passing game. Beyond his proven track record, they might be banking on him carrying a big chip on his shoulder after getting cast aside by the Cowboys.